Once more the world has turnedAnd to the silver shine of daylight I rise To sit in the solitude of silence.The dark brown brew with its aromaThat brims the top of the smooth ceramic cup Warms my hands as I leisurely sip its magicThat seeps surreptitious to my mind to clearThe dimming dust of the long night’s dreamsWorking to make clear my thoughts that turnTowards the hours that stretch before meUntil my mind surveys the view of newYet still unknown adventures aheadAlong a path that is scattered with tasks That might hasten the hours to tick the timeThat will lead me along to attend life’s journey.Until unwilled, the world will once more turnTo meet yet again another star filled nightfall.

It is difficult to express the extent of my happiness that the month of February is behind us for another year. Although it is the shortest of calendar months, I always feel that it is the longest in time. For me, this squeezed in month of days feels like an entire month of Mondays.

While March still brings cold weather and snow, it also brings the first day of spring. More than the first day of January, the twenty or twenty-first day of March gives me a feeling of a new year. Spring is a time of new beginnings. The earth awakens from its long winter’s sleep to stretch and sigh, and yes, occasionally it hits the snooze alarm. While that is sometimes frustrating, we must remember that it is only a snooze. With spring comes the song of birds from the very tiny to the larger geese, ducks, and swans. They build their nests in preparation for raising new families. The trees begin to dress in tiny buds along their stems, like pulling on their undergarments before they deck out to full dress. The longer days shed sun to warm the earth and flowers pop their heads out of the rich soil to add color to the awakening world. Snow gives way to snow and melts the ice of ponds and streams. Wind raises waves across the lake and brings winter’s deadfall that will feed the fire of summer’s bonfires along with the larger logs that will serve as new seats where we will sit watch the sailboats skim the edge of the horizon.

Yes, March brings spring with the promise of new beginnings, of new hope, and new goals. It is my time to celebrate!